Machine for manufacturing pills



' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' J. A. WHITNEY. I

MAGHINE FOR MANUFAGTURING PILLS, &c. No. 256,420.

Patented Apr. 11, 1882.

PETERS. Phowunw mr. Wilhinshn. n. c.

(No Modl.)

' 5 Sheets-Sheet a J. A. WHITNEY. v MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING PILLS, &c. No. 256,420.

Patented Apr, 11, 1882.

L T I II I 9 673 I or my (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' J; A. WHITNEY.

v MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING PILLS, Gm.

No. 256,420. Patented Apr. '11, 1882.

WTNEEEEL NVENTDFF (N9 Model.) 5. Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. A WHITNEY.

, MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING- PILLS; 8nd.-

No. 256.4520. I Pajt 'nted April, 1882;

WTNEEEEE 7 I v JNVENTEJ m! I i If I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. WH ITNEY, OF DOBBS FERRY, NE\V YORK.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING PILLS, etch SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 256,420, dated April 11, 1882,

Application filed September'lti, 1851. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. WHITNEY, late of the city, county, and State of New York, and now residing at Dobbs Ferry, (otherwise known as Greenburg,) in the county of Westforming or shaping pills from sheets or portions of pill-mass are greatly facilitated, and

f whereby the avoidance of casual hinderances to the perfect performance of said operations is effectually secured.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine embracedin my said invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of certain parts included in said machine. Fig.4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of my said machine, taken in the line was of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of said machine, taken in the liney y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is adetailview of certain parts included in said machine. Figs. 7 and 8 are front viewsillustrating the manner in which certain parts are manipulated in the use and operation of the said machine. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are detail views of different portions .ofsaid machine. Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, are drawn to a scale of two inches to the foot. Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, are drawn to a scale of five inches to the foot.

The working parts of the apparatus are sustained bya suitable horizontal frame, A,which is itself appropriately supported-as, for example, upon legs or standards B.

(J is a plate placed upon one end of the frame A, and having two hinge-arms, a, which are pivoted at b to the frame A. This plate 0 should have an outwardly-projecting handle, a, by which it may be turned upward and around its pivots b. This plate 0 has its upper surface slightly grooved or' corrugated in a direction parallel with its axis of movement aroundits pivots b. The grooves should be arc-shaped in their cross-section, and theridges which divide them should be coincident with those of the roller D, hereinafter described. The grooves in the said plate 0 are designed tobe comparatively shallow-that is to say, the ridges between them are intended to penetrate less than one-half way through the thickness of the sheet or layer ofmass placed upon the said plate preparatory to the formation of, the cylindrical strips from which the pills areultimately formed, the object of said grooves in said plate Obeing to prevent the mass from casually slipping laterally out of place, as in some instances is liable to occur where the said plate 0 is formed with an entirely plane surface. v

E is another flat plate.,.the upper surface of which is grooved in directionssparallel with the hereinbefore-indicated axis of movement of the plate 0. The grooves in this plate E, however, are intended to be of such a depth that the ridges between them will extend sub- This plate E isvprovided;

at its left-hand lateral edges with two hingearms, 0, which are connected at their outer extremities by a rod, 01, which, when the plate is in its horizontal position, rests in deeplynotched bearings e. Providedupon the opposite side of the plate E are two other hingearms, f, each of which is provided with astud or pin, g, projecting outward therefrom. These studsor pins 9, when the plate E is in its horizontal position, rest in deeply-notched bearings h on the frame A. The forward one of the binge-arms f should be provided with a handle, 2'. When in its horizontal positionthe,

plate E is supported by the aforesaid notched bearings c and h, the rod d being axially coin, cident with the pivots l) or axis of movement of the plate (3. The plate E may beturned over around upon the bearings of its shaft (1 until it is brought over and upon the plate 0. In like manner the plate 0 may be turned over upon its pivots 1) until it is brought over and upon the plate E. When the said two platesG and E are vbrought together the grooves.

0n theirrespeetive upper surfacesare; opposite to and coincident with each other, the grooves of the one plate being coincident with the grooves of the other. When thus brought together the two plates may be simultaneously turned upon their common axes of movemeu tviz., the axes of the pivots b and shaft d.

F is a third plate, which rests upon and is supported by the fiat adjacent upper surface of the frame A, and which has projecting from its inner end hinge-arms K, which are pivoted to bearings l suitably provided upon the frame A, the said bearingsl being axially coincident with the bearings g of the plate E, so that the plate E may be turned over upon the plate F, or the plate F over upon the plate E, or both moved together and simultaneously. To euable the plate F to be thus manipulated it should be provided with a handle, m. The plate F has its upper surface grooved in a direction at right angles to the direction of the grooves in the plates (J and E. These grooves in the plate F have across-section of a width, depth, and shape corresponding to that desired to be given to the completed pills. Thus, for example, if the pills are to be spherical, the grooves of said plate F will be semi-cylindrical and of the same width and depth as the grooves of the plate E, whereas, if the pills are to be oval or oblong, the grooves in said plate F will be semi-oval in cross-section, so that said grooves, in conjunction with those of the plate F hereinafter described, will present a crosssection corresponding to the longitudinal section ofthefinished pill. Their depth, however, should not materially differ from the depth of the grooves in the plate E.

D and G are two rollers, the journals of which work in suitable boxes, 1', provided to a carrier-bar, H,which receives a to-and-t'ro movement by means ofa crank,'I, connected with it by a connectingrod, J. The bearings r of these two rollers should be made vertically adj ustable by threaded shanks a and jam-nuts I) I), suitably arranged in relation to the carrier-bar H. The roller D is circumferentially grooved, the grooves being substantially semicircular in their cross-section. When this roller is rolled over the plate 0, as hereinafter explained, the grooves of said roller are coincident with the grooves in the said plate 0. It is intended that these grooves of the roller D shall not only be substantially semicircular in cross-section, but that the ridges between them shall be somewhat higher or more extended than is necessary to a true semicircular cross-section to the grooves themselves, in order that when the mass upon the plate 0 is acted upon by the roller D the ridges between the grooves, cutting into the upper side of the mass, as hereinafter explained, shall extend somewhat more than half-way through the thickness of the sheet of mass. The roller G is also circumferentially grooved in substantially the same manner as the roller D the grooves of the said roller G being coincident with the grooves of the plate E when the said roller is moved over the said plate, as hereinafter explained. The grooves in the roller G may, when preferred, be of a depth a trifle more than that atforded by a true semicircular cross-section, in order that the sharp edges of the ridges between the grooves may more effectually insure a thorough cutting or separation of the mass into strips, as hereinafter more fully indicated. Inasmuch as it is desirable that the cutting action of the rollers D and G upon the mass, whether the same be upon the plate 0 or upon the plate E, should be gradually exerted, provision is made for the gradual lowering of the said rollers upon the said plates as the rollers are moved to and fro over said plates by the action of the crank 1.

Provided in the end of the frame A adjacent to the outer end of the plate 0 is a deep vertical recess or socket in which is placed a guide-rail, L, the said guide-rail being held in a proper position in said recesses or sockets, and resting upon the upper side of a bar, M, placed parallel underneath the same. This bar works through inclined slots formed in fixed blocks or bearings P. Through the inclined slots of the said blocks or bearings P pass the angles or inclines n of a bar, W, in such manner that when the said bar is pushed forward the angles or inclines n will elevate the said bar throughout its length, and thereby raise the rail L, and when the said bar M is moved backward the said angles or inclines, acting upon the well-known principle of an inclined plane, will cause the said bar, and consequently the said rail L, to descend, the arrangement of these parts being more fully shown in Fig. 9. Clasps 8, attached to the rail by belts or screws 8, may pass underneath the bar M to more firmly connect the two. Any endwise move ment of the rail is prevented by adjacent fixed cleats s.

The plate E, at its edge adjacent to the plate F, is provided with an extension, '10, in which is formed a vertical groove, recess, or socket substantially identical in shape and diameter with thatjust hereinbefore described as situated at the outer end of the frame A, and in this socket of the plate E is placed another guide-rail, L, together with another bar, M, having angles or inclines a, and which itself passes through blocks or bearings P corresponding to the blocks or bearings P, but provided to the aforesaid part of the said plate E,

instead of the frame A, as represented in Fig. 5, this second bar, M, and railL being operated, by means hereinafter set forth, in the same manner as and simultaneous with the others just specified herein. The upperedge of each rail L is tongued, as shown at c. I

Upon the outer end of the shaft of the roller D is placed a grooved wheel, N, which runs upon the adjacent rail L, the groove of the said wheel N receiving the tongue of the said rail. In like manner the outer end of the shaft of the roller Gis provided with another grooved wheel, N, which in like manner runs upon its adjacent rail L, the groove of the roller fitting upon and receiving the tongue of the said rail,

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so that by this means the grooves of the said rollers D and G are kept coincident with the grooves of the respective plates and E as the rollers pass to and fro over them. When the bars M are movedforward to lift therailsL, as hereinbefore explained, the rollers D and G,

in passing over the plates 0 and E, will be held:

at an appreciable distance therefrom, and in to permit the rails Lto descend,justin the same proportion will therollers D and G be letdown toward the surface of the plates 0 and E until the flanges a of the rollers rest upon narrow fiat edge portions b provided to the plates, which done, the ridges of the roller G will be substantially in contactwith those of the plate E, but practically without'danger. of the two sets of ridges abrading or crushing each other, By this regular descent of the said rollers upon the mass as the same lies on theplates the action of the parts upon the mass to divide the same is rendered gradual and positive.

In order to securev the requisite, movement of the bars M, there is placed at a slightdistance behind them a rock'shaft, P, provided with two vertical arms, Q, the upper ends of which are behind but at aslight distancefrom the rearmost ends of the two bars M. Interposed between the upper end of one arm Q and the rearmost end of theadjacent bar Mis a sliding block, R. Underneath each barMis a spring,f, one end of which is attached to one of the braces, S, which forms part of the frameA, and the other to the bar M itself, so as to tend to draw the said bar backward, this, of course, tending to throw backward the arms Q of the rock-shaft P. A sliding bar, T,working in suitable guides, g, has one of its ends in sliding bar T is in contact with the circumference of a graduated cam. U, aspring, It, being .applied to the bar T to press its said rearmost end against the said eircumferenceof said gradnated cain U. This cam has its circumference out into a number of successive steps, each succeeding step, being at a lesser distance from the axis of movement of the said cam, in order that the bars M may be permitted to descend at intervals, as hereinafter explained, the said cam also being so shaped that after the bars M have reached the limit of their rearward strokethe sliding bars T, andconsequently the bars M, will suddenly be thrown forward to lift the rails L, and consequently the rollers D and G. V

Provided upon theframe-A in rear of the plates 0 and E,,and substantially on a level with them, is a table or platform, A, and theview in Fig. 7. 'gitudinally tongued on their upper sides, as shown atm, to receiveacorrespondingly-shaped movement of the said plates, as hereinafter exbearings, i, provided on the frame A, and is connected by a spur-wheel, W, and pinion to with the shaft A of the crank I. This shaft A is connected by beveled pinions B and G with the driving-shaft D.

proportion as the bars M are moved backward Fixed upon the frame A, upon each side of ings, which, for convenience of description, I term inclined planes,E,and which areshown in cross-section in Fig.9 and indicated in side These inclined planes are longroove formed on a sliding bar, which, for convenience of description, I term a moving inclined plane, F, the slope of the under side thereof being opposite to that of the inclined plane E, as represented in Fig. 7 aforesaid. These inclines F"are connected at their outer ends by a cross-piece, G, so that the two may move in lllllSOll.

In order that the inclines F may not be lifted from their places in the operation of the machine, as hereinafter explained, there is attached to the outer side of each a check piece or plate, H, upon the lowerinner edge of which isformed aspline,f,which fitsintoagroove,g, formed in the outer sideof the adjacentinclined plane E, and extending parallel with the slope of thesaid inclined plane E. In order to further steady the movement of the inclined planes F upon the inclined planes E, there is extended from each of the latter to the adjacent parts of the frame A a spiral spring, I, which also serves the additional purpose of tending to draw backward or outward the inclined planes F to keep the bar J ofthe cross-piece G in contact with the cam G, the shaft Hof which works in suitable bearin gs, It, provided on the frame A, and which has at its outer end a spur-' wheel, K, which gears into a spur-pinion, K, on the adjacent end of the driving-shaft D.

Each of the inclined planes F is lohgitudt. nally grooved in its upper edge, the said upper ledge being substantially levelthat is to say,

in a plane parallel with the, plane occupied by the plates (3, E, and F. These grooves receive tongues L formed longitudinally on the under sides of the side bars, M, of a carriage, R,the side pieces, M, beingconnected by a crosspiece, R, of such conformation as not to interfere in its movements with the other and adjacent parts of the apparatus. This crossbar R is provided underneath with lugs 0',

which permit the attachment, by means of a cross-pin, s, of a pitman, S, which, as shown in Fig. 4, connects with an eccentric, T, on a countershaft, T, which,by means of a pinion,

(shown in dotted outline at m in Fig. 4,) is

driven from a spur-wheel, u, on the driving shaft D.

F is a plate, the under side of which is formed with semicircular grooves corresponding in depth,width, and contour to the grooves in the plate F, and which, as more fully shown at c in Fig. 10, is hinged at one edge to the adjacent side pieces, M, in such manner that the plate F can be thrownover and away from the plate F, or be brought down over the same in a position parallel therewith, and there re tained by means of a suitable bolt or spring catch, 10', which holds into a cavity formed in due relation thereto in the inner edge ofthe opposite side bar, M". The plate F being can ried by the carriage 1t and the latter receiving a vibratory motion from the cam T, it follows that the plate F will be moved to and fro over the plate F, and inasmuch as the grooves of the plate F are coincident with those of the plate F, cylindrical strips of pillmass placed between the two plates transversely to the grooves thereof will be rolled over and over and divided into pills circular in cross-section, and having a longitudinal section corresponding to that of the coincident grooves of the plates F and F this operation being performed as the two plates aforesaid approach. each other, and the mass is subjected to the cutting action of the ridges of the twoplates,respectivel y, and the shaping action of the surfaces of the grooves thereof.

It is also to be observed that inasmuch as the side pieces, M, of the carriage It move longitudinally upon the upper surfaces of the inclined planes F, and these latter move upon the coincidentinclined planes B, it follows that as the inclines F" are pulled backward by the springs 1 against the cam G and the said cam rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. at the said cam G will first move forward the inclines F to raise the carriage R, and consequently the plate F and then backward to lower the said carriage and plate, the carriage being raised or lowered, according as one or the other portion of the said cam is acting upon the bearingf of the cross-bar G of the inclined planes F, provision being made for raising the plate F to such a distance from the plate F that the strips of pillmass may not be crushed when first placed between the said plates, aud for then gradually lowering the plate F simultaneously with its vibratory motion, in order that the operation of separating the strips into pills may be performed by the gradual descent of the plate F to the plate F during the aforesaid vibratory motion of the plate F By releasing the catch 10' the plate F may be thrown upward and backward clear of the plate F, in which case it may rest against the cross-piece w of a suitable standard, 2, which latter is attached to the adjacent portion of the frame A.

In order to stop the motion of the machine at will, the pulley D on the driving-shaft D is 'connected with the latter by means of a suitable clutch, E operated by a shipping-lever,

G the opposite end of which works between two studs, a, on a sliding bar, H which is placed in suitable guides onthe frame A, and

which, passing under that portion of the said frame which supports the plate E, projects beyond the front of the apparatus, and is provided with a suitable handle, 1;, by which it in ay be moved backward or forward. Aspring, c, is of sufficient tension, when permitted to act, to throw the clutch out of gear with the pulley I) in order to stop the machine. By pushing the rod H inward the clutch connects .the pulley D with the shaft 1), thereby putting the machine in motion. The rearmost or inner end of the bar 11 has a notch or shoulder, f and when the said baris pushed inward to set the machine in operation this shoulder passes underneath a spring-catch, G which is shown in detail in Fig. 2, this catch G being pressed downward by a spring, h A lever, 1 connects by a rod, i, with the inner end of the catch G, as more fully represented in said Fig. 2, the said lever 1 having its rearmost end turned at right angles to its main length, in order that the rod 6 may more conveniently connect with the aforesaid end of the springcatch G This lever 1 the fulcrum of which is represented at 55, connects by a rod, K, with a trcadle, m so that by pressing down on the forward end of said treadle the spring-catch G will be lifted, thereby releasing the bar H whereupon the spring 0 actuates the shippinglever G3 to throw the clutch out of gear with the pulley D and stop the motion of the driv ing-shaft, and consequently of the machine. The apparatus may thus be stopped and started at will. In its ordinary use and operation, however, it is preferable that its motion should be stopped automatically when a full round of its operations has been completed. In order to provide for this there is attached to one end of the shaft V of the cam U a second cam, of, so proportioned that at the completion of each round of the operations of the machine the portion of the circumference of the cam farthest from its axis will act upon the inner end of an arm, f of the spring-catch G to depress the same in the same manner that the said inner end of the said catch is depressed by the action of the treadle m thereby releasing the bar H and permitting the spring 0 to actuate the shipping-lever G to move the clutch E to release the driving-pulley D and thus stop the mot-ion of the driving-shaft, the machine being started at the commencement of the next round of operations by pushing forward the bar H as hereinbel'ore explained.

Inasmuch as it is desirable that after the plate F has been brought down upon the plate F the reciprocating movement of the plate F with reference to the said plate F should be still continued for an appreciable length oftime, it is found best in practice that the motion of the cam G be arrested during a brief interval to permit such movement of the plate F with reference to the plate F.

ICC

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In order to provide for this the cam G is loose upon the shaft H, except when made fast by the action of a clutch, r placed upon the shaft Hof the said cam. In ordeiuto obtain the requisite longitudinal movement of the clutch T the shaft H is hollowed to permit the passage of a rod, 8 through the same, and its connection by any suitable device with the clutch r so that a longitudinal movement given to the rod 8 actuates the said clutch to release the cam G, or to make the same fast to the shaft H, as the case may be. The requisite movement of the rod 8 at the properintervals is provided for by means of a lever, 1t ,pivoted at u one end of which said lever is attached to the end of the rod 8 and the other to the end of a sliding bar, P which works through suitable guides provided to the frame A, and which hasits'rearmostextremity pressed against the circumference of a cam, S, on the shaft V, the said bar IE being pressed backward against the said cam S by means of a spring, 10 The circumferential contour of the cam S is shown in the detail view, Fig. 6. When the bar 1? is forced inward by the more prominent portion of the cam S the clutch r is operated to make fast the cam G to the shaft H, in order that the said cam may act upon the bearing f of the cross-piece G, in order to provide the requisite vertical movement of the plate F with reference to the plate F. When, however, the recessed portion of the cam S permits the rearward movement of the bar P the lever B is actuated to unclutch the cam G, thereby causing the shaft H to run loose within the same, and causing theinclines F to remain stationary at that stage in the operation of the machine when the plate F has been brought down close upon the plate F, so that the reciprocating movement of the plate F will be continued to more completely finish the operation of rolling and separating the strips into pills by the conjoined action of the said plates F and F when said plates are nearest together.

In the operation of the machine the pillmass, in the form of a sheet of suitable thickness, is placed upon the plate 0, this being done while the rollers D and G are drawn back upon the platform A in rear of the plates 0 and D. The machine being then put in motion, the roller D moving to and fro over the plate 0 and being gradually lowered, as hereinbefore described, cuts into the upper surface of the sheet of mass laid upon the plate 0, and simultaneous therewith spreads out the mass to any requisite extent, the result being thatthe upper surface of the sheet of mass is grooved or corrugated by the action of the roller D,the corrugations being substantially semicircular in their cross section and the grooves being intended to extend somewhat more than halfway through the thickness of the sheet of mass. The said sheet during the last-mentioned operation is held against casual lateral displacement by means of the shallow grooves on the the rails L being meanwhile lifted prepara I tory to the 'next succeeding operation of the rollers D and G. The plate E is then, by means of its handle 2', turned over upon the plate 0, the grooves of the plate E fitting upon and clasping the corrugations in the sheet of mass as the same lies on the plate 0. This done, the handle a of the plate 0 is also grasped by the operator, and the two plates,

with the sheet of mass clasped between them,

are together turned over around the axes of the pivot b and shaft at until the plate E is returned to its horizontal position, whereupon the plate 0 is turned back to its own horizontal position, leaving the sheet of mass inverted upon the plate E, the plate 0 being now ready to receive a succeeding sheet of mass to be acted upon by the roller D in the same manner as hereinbefore described. The ridges between the grooves of the plate E being calculated at one-half the thickness of the sheet of mass de-.

posited on the said plate, and the grooves formed in the sheet of mass by the action of the roller D extending somewhat more than half-way through the said sheet, it follows that whenthe latter is inverted upon the plate E there exists at the under side of said sheet a cavity above each of the ridges between the grooves of the plate E. The machine being again set in operation, the roller G is moved to and fro over the plate E simultaneous with the corresponding movement of .the-roller D over the plate 0, and inasmuch as the ridges between the grooves of the roller G are calculated to cut su bstantially one-half way through the'thickness of the sheet of mass as it lies on the plate E, and inasmuch as the grooves of the roller G are coincident with those of the plate E, itfollows that the upper side of the sheet of mass is grooved and corrugated substantially coincident with the grooves and corrugations of the now under side of the sheet of mass, so that when the roller G, as hereinbefore described, has descended until it is substantiallyin contact with the plateE the mass on the said plate is dividedinto strips which are of substantially circular cross-section, it being found in practice, however, that the grooves of the rollers D and G and of the plate E may be so formed as to give a very slightly oval cross-section to the strips of mass without materially interfering with. the subsequent operation of rolling the strips intopills.

It will be observed that the spaces provided in the under side of the mass above the ridges of the plate E as the mass lies upon the said plate greatly facilitate the separation of the strips from each other, as fully set forth in my application for a patent on improvement for process and machinery for making' pills, allowed, and intended by me to issue in Letters Patent of even date with that which may be issued upon this present specification. When the operation of forming the strips on the plate E is completed the movement of the machine again ceases, the rollers D and Gstopping, as before, ever or upon the platform A". The plate F is then thrown backward around its pivot c and allowed to rest against the standard 00, thereby permitting the plate F to be lifted by means of its handle m and turned upward and inward around the axes of the studs 9 and pivots 1 until it is brought down upon the plate E, the grooves and ridges of the plate F being transverse to the strips of mass as the latter lie in the grooves of the plate E. The hinge-arms it of the plate F and the hinge-arms c of the plate E are so formed that when the plate F is brought over the plate E, as described, the face of the said plate F will be substantially parallel with the face of the plate E, the two being at such distance apart that the strips of mass are lightly held between them without being crushed or deeply indented by the coincidentpressure of the said two plates. The operator grasping simultaneously the shaft d of the plate E and the handle m of the plate F, the two plates F and E,

- holding the strips of mass between them, are

turned upward and over around the axes of the studs g and pivots l, in the manner indicated in Fig. 8, until the plate F is returned to its orginal horizontal position, whereupon V the plate E is turned backward to its own horizontal position, leaving the strips of mass deposited upon the central portion of the plate F, and transversely to the grooves thereof, which done, the plate F is brought down to its horizontal position, and there locked by the action of the catch 20'. At this stage the plate F is held by the inclined planes F, so that theridges between its grooves but slightly touch or indent the upper sides of the strips of mass placed between the said plate F and the plate F underneath. The strips of mass having been transferred, as described, to the plates F F the plates 0 and D are again manipulated to transfer the sheet of mass from the former to the latter, which being done,.another aud succeeding sheetisplacetl upon plate 0. The machine being then again set in mo tion, the reciprocating movement of the plate F upon the plate'F, combined with the gradually-descending movement of the plateF upon the said plate F, causes the strips to be rolled between the two plates until by the coincident action of the ridges and grooves of the plate F and the ridges and grooves of the plate F the strips are divided and shaped into pills.

The most effective and complete separation minimllHlllllt4lllllllll lllllllllllllllmllllllllllllullu of the strips and pills and the more finished form ofthe latter areinsnred by the continuance of the reciprocating movement of the plate F after its descent upon the plate F has been accomplished, as hcreinbefore explained. Vthen the shaping of the pills between the plates F and F is completed the machine ceases its motion with the rollers D and G situated, as before, on or over the platform A. The plate F is then thrown upward and backward against the standard 00, and the plate F being then lifted and turned to receive the next succeeding batch of strips from the plate E, the pills roll off from the plate F as thelatter is inclined and are caught in any suitable vessel temporarily held at the inner end of the said plate F to receive them. In the treatment of the pill-mass, as hereinbeforc described, it is a matter ofjudgment to dustthe surfaces of the plates 0 E F and also the surface of the mass with powdered chalk, ground licorice-root, or other innocuous powdered material to prevent the mass from adhering too strongly to the surfaces with which it is brought in contact.

It will be observed that the plates 0, E, and F and the parts directly cooperating with each are all in operation at the same time,acting upon different sheets or portions of pillmass at different stages of progress toward the condition of the fully-formed pills, so that a full round of the operations of the machine is completed with each complete grooving and corrugation of the surface of the mass on the plate 0, the separation of one portion of mass into strips on the plate E and the separation of another portion in the form of strips into pills on the plateF proceedingsimultaneously with the groovingand corrugation of the upper surface of a third portion on the first-mentioned plate 0.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the grooved roller D, of the plate 0, constructed with shallow grooves or depressions in its upper surface to prevent casual lateral displacement ofthe mass durin gthe operation of the grooved roller thereon, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the grooved roller D and plate 0, of means, substantially as described, for graduating the descent of the roller upon the plate during the operation of grooving and corrugating the mass thereon, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the roller D and plate 0, of vertically-movable rails L and means, substantially as described,for raising and lowering said rails to graduate the distance between the said roller and plate, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination of the rollers D. and G, arranged for simultaneous operation the plates 0 and E, the vertically-movable rails L, arranged to receive the weight ofthe rollers, and means, substantially as described, for graduating the vertical movementof the rails to grad- ICO ism, substantially as described, for stopping the motion of the cam to permit continued motion .of the plate F after the same has descended to the plate I substantially as herein set forth. 7 JAMES A, WHITNEY,

, Witnesses THOMAS E. GRossMAN,

ROBERT W. MATTHEWS. 

